VFK Neon Quest! (2019)
The VFK Neon Quest 2019 is a weekly quest that appeared on VFK. Description The exciting and glowing neon signs that light up the night began as some simple experiments with gases and lights, and went on to become the flashing stars that we know today! Their heyday saw them in use everywhere, and even though they require skilled craftsmen to make them, they are still popular and continue to advertise all sorts of products and businesses. From the simplest sign to an artistic multicolor neon masterpiece, neon grabs our attention. On our quest today, let's look at the fascinating history of Neon signs! Your reward for completing this quest will be 1,000 credits, and a Neon Everest Heart Sign! Reward * Neon Everest Heart Sign * 1,000 Credits Questions and Answers # Neon has its humble beginnings over three centuries ago when a French astronomer, Jean Picard. He took one of the newly discovered mercury barometers up a mountain one night in 1675. His goal was to observe air pressure at different elevations, however in his observations, he noticed that the tube glowed faintly. When he shook the tube, the mercury glowed even more brightly. What was the name given to this phenomenon? #* Phantom glow #* Mercury borealis #* Barometric light #* Neon explosion # Further scientific investigation showed that the mysterious glow was caused by static electricity. Static electricity was not yet understood at that time, so as scientists discovered how electricity worked, they used their new found knowledge to develop lights. Go to Inside the Hotel in Western Age, and say: "Phantom Glow!" # The next major advancement toward neon signs was by German physicist Heinrich Geissler. He invented the Geissler tube in 1855. His tubes were considered to be the earliest discharge tube art, and when electrical generators were invented, the Geissler tube was utilized in electrical experiments with electricity and gas. When a Geissler tube filled with gas was placed under low pressure and an electrical voltage was applied, what occurred? #* The electricity would cause sparks #* The gas would become cloudy #* The tube would vibrate, and then explode #* The gas in the tube would glow # Geissler's invention of the mercury diffusion pump enabled him to create a vacuum inside the tubes. Julius Plücker, another scientist who studied Geissler's tubes, discovered how to focus and direct the discharge using magnets and different sized tubing. A further advancement was made in 1859, by Antoine Henri Becquerel. This scientist filled the tubes with luminescent materials and rarified air to produce the first examples of fluorescent lights. In 1893, Nicola Tesla made a sign that said "LIGHT." Go to King Arthur's Round Table Room in Medieval Age, and say: "LIGHT!" # In 1898, two other scientists, Sir William Ramsay and Morris M. Travers, made further experiments with liquid air and discovered the element neon. Neon is a rare gas present in the atmosphere. The newly discovered element, they named after the Greek word "neos", meaning new. These scientists also discovered xenon and krypton. What kind of gases are neon, xenon and krypton? #* Liquid gases #* Noble gases #* Ramsay gases #* Travers gases # In 1898, Daniel McFarlan Moore, a U.S. electrical engineer and inventor, created an efficient electric light by filling long glass tubes with carbon dioxide and nitrogen mixed together. These lights were called Moore tubes after the inventor. Go to the Front of the Opera House in Australia, and say: "It is neon time!" # In 1902, Georges Claude, a French engineer, chemist and inventor, took a Moore tube and filled it with neon. He applied an electrical discharge and the electricity passed through the neon and produced a brilliant light. His experiments led him to create the first neon lamp which he introduced for the first time on December 11th, 1910, in Paris, France. What color was Moore's neon light? #* Brilliant Red #* Sparkling Blue #* Vivid Orange #* Dazzling Purple # Claude patented his neon light tube on Jan. 19th, 1915 in the U.S.. In 1923, he started a business in France called Claude Neon to sell his neon signs to the United States! Claude had acquired many patents and he envisioned a profitable market for his tubes in lighting and signage. Claude sold one neon sign to a Packard car dealership in Los Angeles which read "Packard". He sold a second sign to the owner of the dealership, Earle C. Anthony, who purchased them for $12,000 each. Go to the front of the Zoo in Australia, and say: "Neon Crazy" # Using the electrified neon filled tubes for signs was an instant hit! The California Packard sign not only received attention, but launched the popular era of neon outdoor advertising. By 1924, "Claude Neon" had franchises in 14 major cities in the U.S.. By 1927, out of a 750 neon signs in New York City, 611 of them had been made by Claude Neon Lights, Inc! Neon lights had the advantage of being visible in the daytime as well as the night, which made them very effective in attracting a potential customer's attention. What are the lights called that are made using the other gases? #* They were converted into quarries Argon lights #* For defence against enemies Mercury light #* For burial chambers Phosphor light #* For long term grain storage They are all considered to be neon lights # Despite the success of neon lights, making the signs requires a skilled craftsman who uses different lengths of glass tubing, high heat, gases, and electricity. Since neon glows red, other colors are created by combining various gases such as argon, mercury and phosphor. Go to the Undersea Window in Australia, and say: "Liquid Fire!" Top 30 Finishers The first 30 to finish with the fastest times: To be added. Category:Weekly Quest